Doctors defend prescription rate in statins boom

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Britain has been called the statins capital of EuropeMichael Marten/Science Photo Library

Sonia Elks

Last updated at 11:06AM, December 27 2013

Leading health charities have hit back at claims that doctors are handing out
anti-cholesterol tablets too readily after a report found that Britain was
the statins capital of Europe.

Peter Weissberg, medical director of the the British Heart Foundation, has
defended Britain’s use of the drugs, which he said had brought about
“phenomenal” results in reducing heart disease.

It comes after a report found that eight million people were on some type of
anti-cholesterol drug in Britain — representing nearly one person in eight.
The UK is now second only to Australia in terms of prescription levels,
according to the report